Spoke tightener



G. C. BOLLER ET AL SPOKE TIGHTENER Filed Dec. 14. 1922 5140a Q K li atented (Diet. 9, 1923.

GEORGE C. ROLLER, OF LOOMIS, AND EDJVARD CIiARElJl-Zll 1135, CF GRIDLIEY, CALIFORNIA.

SPOKE TIG-H'IJENER.

Application filed December 14, Serial No. 608,817.

T 0 all ii /tom it may, concern:

Be it known that we, Gnonon C. BoLLnR and l lnwinn CLAnnNmor-r, citizens of the lf nited States, residing at Loomis and Grid-- ley. respectively, in the counties of Placer and Butte, respectively, State of California, have invented a new and useful Spoke Tightener; and we do hereby declare the following to he a tall, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to spoke tighteners for wheels, and has for its object to provide shims adapted to be disposed between the engaging ends of the spokes after the same have been forced outwardly, said shims having an aperture therein adapted to register with recesses in the adjacent sides of the spokes, and into which recesses molten metal is poured for forming a cylindrical body on the shim and connected through the aperture. The cylindrical body forms means for preventing radial movement of the shims.

A. further object is to provide an expanding device omprising wedge shaped me hers held together by springs extending around the same, said expanding device being adapted to be disposed between the inner ends ot the spokes and to receive an expanding pin, for forcing the wedge shaped members apart and forcing the spokes radially outwardly.

\Vith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of the inner adjacent ends of the spokes of a wheel, showing the expander therein and the shims in place.

l igure 2 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation of the expander.

Figure is a side elevation of the expander pin.

Figure is a perspective view of one of the shims, showing the same on a spoke, and partly broken away.

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the shims.

i igure 6 is a perspective view of one of the we ge shaped sections oi. the expander.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the inner ends of spokes 2 of a conventional :t'orm oi. wheel. It has been found that the spokes become loose incident to warping or shrinking, which develops a squeak or other objectionable noise. To obviate this dii'licuity the inner ends 1 of the spokes which are wedge shaped are forced outwardly by an expander 3, which expander is forn'ied from a plurality of wedge shaped sections 41, which are normally held together by means of circumferentially arranged coiled springs 5, and are forced outwardly against the ends or the spokes by means of a tapered pin 6, which is forced into the openings of the expander. The expander is provided with a flange 8 in a groove 9 01' which one or" the springs 5 is disposed, the flange 8 limits the inward movemerit of the expander. The other coiled spring 5 is disposed in an annular groove 10 in the outer wall of the reduced portion 11 01 the expander. lit will be seen that after the wedge shaped members 4: of the expander have been forced outwardly or held in outward position by the pin 6 that shims 12 may be placed between the inner ends 1 of the spokes :2 as clearly shown in Figure 1, as many shims being used as are necessary to prevent play. Each shim 12 is provided with an aperture 13, which aper true, when the shim is forced to position between the spokes registers with oppositely disposed recesses 14 in adjacent walls of the inner ends or the spokes and into which recesses 14 molten metal is poured to form the cylindrical body 15, which body is connected together centrally of the shim by the flowing of molten metal through the aperture 13 oil the shim, thereby securely holding the cylindrical body 15 against movement on the shim and consequently preventing radial displacement of the shim. The recesses 14 are shown as segmentally shaped in cross section, however it is obvious that these recesses can be of any other shape, the easiest method being to form the same segmentally shaped in cross section so that they can be easily bored or formed by cutting. After the cylindrical bodies 15 have been formed on the various shims, the expander 3 is removed and the wheel assembled in the usual manner according to its construction, the shims holding the spokes in the position to which they have been forced by the expander.

From the above it will be seen that a spoke tighteningdevice is provided which is simple in construction, positive in its operation and the spokes will be positively held against inward movement after the shims have been placed in position.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is 2- l. The combination with the adjacent sides of the inner ends of Wheel spokes, of radially disposed shims between the spokes and provided with apertures registering with recesses in the adjacent sides of the spokes, and a body carried by each shim and disposed in the recesses of the spokes and connected through the aperture in the shim.

E2. The combination with the inner ends oi wheel spokes, 01" shims disposed between the adjacent faces of the spokes and pro vided with apertures registering with recesses in the adjacent sides of the spokes, of a cylindrical body carried by the shims and disposed in the recesses of the spokes and connected through the apertures in the shim, said cylindrical body being formed by pouring molten metal into the recesses in the spokes.

8. A spoke tightening shim, said shim comprising a sheet of material having an opening therethrough, a body formed on said sheet of material on both sides thereof and connected through the aperture of the shim.

in testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specitiration in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE C. BOLLER. EDWARD CLARENBACH. Witnesses JED VJ; TALLEYS, ELMER S. OPHLER. 

